Mr. Clarence L. Vaughn, III is a graduate of Florida A & M University with a B.A. in Business Administration, School of Business Industry. Mr. Vaughn was awarded the “Total Betterment of Whitman School of Management” from the Syracuse University, in which he graduated with honors and received a Master’s of Business Administration concentrating in Organizational Management. Through the appointment of the Honorable Mayor Madeline Rogero, Mr. Vaughn now serves as the Executive Director of the Police Advisory and Review Committee (PARC) for the City of Knoxville.
Mr. Vaughn has served as an advocate of Civilian Oversight throughout the State of Tennessee by encouraging and sharing best practices of establishing civilian oversight entities across the state. Mr. Vaughn has discussed strategic plans and implementation strategies with civic leaders, elected officials, and community members in cities throughout the state. With the assistance of doctoral students from the University of Tennessee, Mr. Vaughn has created a stakeholder’s document to highlight the importance of civilian oversight boards. Furthermore, Mr. Vaughn has sustained a strong working relationship with the University of Tennessee’s College of Sociology, in which the PARC receives an intern each semester. The internship program established by efforts of Mr. Vaughn and faculty and staff is directed to students with interests in obtaining a career in law enforcement or criminal justice. The interns are provided with an introduction to leaders from entities such as; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Knox County District Attorney’s Office, Knox County Public Defender’s Office, Knoxville Police Department (KPD), and Knox County Sheriff Department. Students are able tour facilities and experience a real-life understanding in working for the provided entities.
Under the leadership of Mr. Vaughn, PARC continues to work closely with the Knoxville Police Department in regards to training and policy overview. Mr. Vaughn provides a Cultural Competency Training for each newly hired recruit class. The training is concentrated on discussing impacts of explicit and implicit bias within law enforcement. Recruits are provided with practices of overcoming difficult dialogues, competence development, and strategies to combat bias. In addition, Mr. Vaughn serves as a member of the KPD’s policy committee. The policy committee reviews General Orders and Standard Operating Procedures used to govern officers of the department. Input is provided on effective ways to ensure that policies and procedures remain current with ever-changing demands of meeting community needs.
Under the leadership of Mr. Vaughn, the PARC has collaborated with departments within the City of Knoxville to provide trainings and group discussions on safety awareness and community policing. The PARC works closely with the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods to provide a “Neighborhood Safety Workshop” which is a safety series concentrated on best practices to deter criminal activity throughout the City of Knoxville. Community members are provided with useful resources to establish safe and secure neighborhoods. With the assistance of the KPD, quarterly trainings are provided to community members on police practices to enhance community policing efforts made by the department.
Mr. Vaughn is a member of the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) which is focused on improving relationships between law enforcement and citizens. During his tenure as a member of Mr. Vaughn has served in various capacities, which include serving on the Annual Conference Planning committee since 2017. While attending the 24th Annual NAOLCE Conference held in St. Petersburg, Florida, Mr. Vaughn served as a guest speaker on the topic of “Law Enforcement and Homelessness”. Mr. Vaughn served on the planning committee for the NACOLE Regional Training and Networking Conference, in which he also served as a panelist in a discussion geared towards “A Regional Perspective on Oversight”. During the 25th Annual NACOLE Conference, Mr. Vaughn was given the opportunity to serve as a shepherd for the discussion titled, “Lawful but Awful: How to Analyze Controversial Police Shootings”.
Affiliated Organizations/Recognitions:
40 under 40 – Knoxville Business Journal (2017)
Introduction Knoxville – Class of 2017
University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Associate Program (Class of 2017)
National Association of Civilian Oversight for Law Enforcement
Dr. Martin Luther King Commemorative Commission, President (Board Chair Emeritus)
Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum, President (Board Chair Emeritus)
Helen Ross McNabb Center, Secretary
Knox County District Attorney’s Citizens’ Academy (Inaugural Class)
Knoxville Police Department Citizens’ Police Academy (58th Class)
Knoxville Fire Department Citizen’s Academy (Class of 2018)
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Inaugural Citizens’ Academy (Class of 2017)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizens’ Academy (Class of 2017)
United Way of Greater Knoxville, Operations Committee
Dogwood Arts, Board Member-at-large